Aircraft carrier "Gerald R.Ford": new technologies, new capabilities

Gerald R. Ford class aircraft carriers

(eng.
Gerald R. Ford class
) - a series of US multi-purpose nuclear aircraft carriers, the construction of which has been underway since 2009. They were created as an improved version of Nimitz-class aircraft carriers and differ from them, with comparable sizes and aircraft armament, in a reduced crew due to a high degree of automation and, as a result, lower operating costs. In addition, the new aircraft carriers are distinguished by the introduction of a number of new technologies and design solutions, in particular, elements of stealth technology. The lead ship was laid down on November 14, 2009[2], and its commissioning is planned for 2020. In addition, the construction of at least two ships is planned; as the Gerald R. Ford class aircraft carriers enter service, they will replace the Enterprise and Nimitz class aircraft carriers.

History of creation and prospects

The program to create a new generation aircraft carrier, designed to replace the Enterprise and Nimitz class aircraft carriers, was previously known as the CVN(X) and CVN-21 (“aircraft carrier of the 21st century”) program[3].

Funding for the program began in 2001, construction began in August 2005, and the keel of the lead ship began in November 2009. In total, in 2001-2013, $10.5 billion will be allocated for the design and construction of the lead ship at current prices, including $2.4 billion for design and $8.1 billion for construction. Another $3.3 billion in 1997–2013 is planned to be spent on research work on the creation of new military technologies. The cost of construction of the second and third ships of the series will be 9.2 and 10.7 billion dollars, respectively, at current prices[4].

After the lead ship is accepted into the fleet (approximately 2016), the following ships will follow it at intervals of 5 years, replacing old aircraft carriers approaching their 50-year service life limit. The last (tenth) aircraft carrier of the series is expected to be commissioned in 2058.

The US Navy's very first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise CVN-65, was retired from the fleet in 2012, after which the US Navy will have 10 aircraft carriers within 3 years until the commissioning of USS Gerald Ford (CVN-78). From this moment on, a gradual transition to a 10-carrier fleet is planned.

With a reduction in the number of crew members, the operation of the aircraft carrier will have to cost the United States $4 billion less than its predecessor. The planned service life of the Gerald Ford is also 50 years, the cost of building three aircraft carriers of the new class will be approximately 42 billion dollars [5] [6].

The Gerald Ford was the first US Navy ship to be designed entirely using a 3D design system that included an automated process modeling system.

Aircraft carrier accident rate

The accident on the attack aircraft carrier USS Forrestal (CV-59), which occurred in the Gulf of Tonkin in 1967, is the largest accident in the US Navy in the last 50 years. According to the official conclusion, the fire started after the spontaneous launch of an unguided rocket under the influence of an accidental voltage surge in the circuits of one of the aircraft standing on the deck. Result: the 17th fire, which engulfed six decks of the ship, the detonation of nine bombs on the flight deck, killing 134 people (161 injured). The ship and its aircraft completely lost their combat capability, 21 burned-out aircraft were thrown overboard (not counting the aircraft damaged by fire).

About 70 miles from Honolulu, while one of the fighter-bombers was preparing for a combat mission, the warhead of an unguided rocket suspended under its wing exploded. The explosion occurred as a result of overheating of the missile warhead, caused by a sufficiently long exposure to the jet stream of the engine of another aircraft, which was on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier and was also preparing for takeoff.

Within just 20 minutes, 18 powerful explosions occurred on the flight deck of the nuclear-powered ship, including the detonation of eight 500-pound (227 kg) aerial bombs. Later there was another series of explosions. In total, as a result of the accident, 28 people were killed, 343 people from the crew and naval air wing of the Enterprise and the destroyers Benjamin Stoddert and Rogers were injured of varying degrees of severity, and 15 combat aircraft were completely destroyed. There is no need to talk about the various equipment that was destroyed. The aircraft carrier's combat service in the Vietnam area had to be postponed.

The following are significant accidents. More than a hundred smaller ones occurred. For example, on the aircraft carrier Nimitz:

— 1981. A landing plane crashed into an unsuccessfully parked helicopter on the deck of an aircraft carrier. Fire. Explosions. Result: 18 aircraft destroyed, 14 killed and 39 wounded.

— 1988. The electric launch of the high-speed artillery cannon jammed on the attack aircraft. The tanker plane caught fire. Losses: 8 aircraft.

— 1991. Airplane crash during landing. The burning car, abandoned by the crew, caught on the arresting device and froze in the middle of the deck. But its engines roared in afterburner mode. If not for the actions of a brave technician (who turned off the engines), the situation would have gotten out of control.

There were accidents in the navy and in the USSR...

The anti-submarine cruiser "Moscow" is an aircraft-carrying ship, or more precisely, a helicopter carrier. As a result of a short circuit at the diesel generator switchboard, a fire broke out, which took 6 hours to extinguish. Three people were killed and 26 people were injured.

The aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov was also on fire. One example is on January 6, 2009, when the aircraft carrier led a group of ships of the Northern Fleet in the southeastern Mediterranean. There was a fire in the engine room. The fire took two hours to extinguish. One sailor died.

To summarize, I would like to point out that these are just a few examples of accidents that occurred in peacetime. In combat conditions, the accident rate increases significantly.

Design Features

With the same displacement as Nimitz-class aircraft carriers (about 100,000 tons), the Gerald Ford will have a crew of 500-900 fewer people. This will be achieved by reducing the labor intensity of maintenance of devices and systems by 30%, as well as through the widespread introduction of automation[7].

Compared to Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, there will be an increase in the number of sorties per day from 140 to 160 (and up to 220 in crisis situations), an increase of 150% in electricity generation for new high-tech systems, a weight and stability control system will be introduced, The ability to interact with other ships has been improved.

layout

The hull design is almost identical to the Nimitz-class aircraft carriers. The more compact superstructure is moved aft and moved beyond the side line. The superstructure is equipped with a mast made of composite materials. It houses fixed phased array radars (PAS) and an automatic approach and landing system (JPALS) using the GPS global positioning system. The flight deck has been expanded and equipped with 18 points for refueling and arming aircraft.

The internal layout of the ship and the configuration of the flight deck have been significantly changed. Enabled quick reconfiguration of internal volumes when installing new equipment. To reduce weight, the number of hangar sections was reduced from three to two, and the number of aircraft lifts was reduced from four to three.

Flagship apartments [ what?

] for 70 seats, the superstructure was moved to the lower deck to reduce the size.
radio-electronic equipment
DBR radar system

, which integrates the multifunctional AN/SPY-3 X-band radar from Raytheon and the VSR S-band volumetric radar from Lockheed.
AN/SPY-3 provides target surveillance and tracking, missile control and target illumination at the final part of the missile's trajectory. The VSR serves as a long-range surveillance and targeting role for other radars and weapon systems. The system was developed for the new generation destroyers DDG-1000 Zamvolt[8]. air group
Aircraft carriers will be able to carry up to 90 aircraft and helicopters for various purposes: 5th generation F-35 carrier-based aircraft, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter-attack aircraft, E-2D Advanced Hawkeye AWACS aircraft, EA-18G electronic countermeasures aircraft, multi-purpose MH-60R/S helicopters, as well as combat unmanned aerial vehicles.

One of the significant technological innovations is the replacement of the C-13 steam catapults with new electromagnetic catapults[en] ( Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System

, EMALS) from General Atomics based on a linear electric motor. It allows combat aircraft to accelerate more smoothly and avoid too much stress on the aircraft structure. The catapult demonstrator was tested at the Naval Aircraft Systems Test Center (NASC) in Lakehurst, New Jersey. If successful, electromagnetic catapults will provide greater controllability of the aircraft launch process, less load on aircraft and pilots, the ability to take off at a wider range of wind speeds and directions, and special launch modes for unmanned aerial vehicles.

The use of new turboelectric aerofinishers from General Atomics is expected. The tension of the synthetic arrester cable will be regulated by an electric motor, which will ensure a smoother run and the absence of extreme loads on the cable, brake hook and aircraft fuselage.

weapons

As a means of air defense for self-defense, the ship is armed with Raytheon ESSM missiles with two 8-container launchers for 32 missiles each. The missiles are designed to combat high-speed, highly maneuverable anti-ship missiles. Short-range systems include RAM surface-to-air missiles from Raytheon and Ramsys GmbH.

The ship will use an improved system for storing and supplying ammunition and consumables with double-height storage facilities. The carrier's ammunition consists of missiles, artillery rounds, bombs and air-to-ground missiles for attack aircraft, torpedoes and depth charges for anti-submarine aircraft. Weapons are lifted from the arsenals to the main processing and assembly points on level 02 (under the flight deck), from where they are transported to the deck by high-speed lifts. The lifts were developed by Federal Equipment Company and Oldenburg Lakeshore Inc.

power point

The two new A1B[en] reactors, newly developed for the aircraft carrier, are capable of producing 25% more electricity than the previous generation aircraft carrier's power plant, and the maintenance effort is reduced by 50%. The power reserve allows the ship to quickly reload catapults and launch aircraft. The reactor can operate without replacing fuel rods for 50 years. This is the first nuclear reactor that does not require refueling during the entire service life of an aircraft carrier.[8]

New in blogs

On November 9, the Newport News Shipbuilding shipyard (Newport News, Virginia) will host a launching ceremony for the new American aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78). Construction of the lead ship of the same type began in 2009 and will soon enter its final stage. The aircraft carrier is scheduled to enter service with the US Navy in 2020. In the future, the Pentagon plans to build two more ships of this type.

The aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford is one of the most important American military projects of recent times. This attitude towards the ship is primarily due to the fact that for the first time since the sixties, American shipbuilding has created and is implementing such a large project. The Nimitz-class aircraft carriers currently in service with the Navy were built in accordance with a design developed in the sixties. Since then, the project has been refined several times before the construction or modernization of the ships, but has not undergone significant changes. The Gerald R. Ford class, the first of which will soon be launched, is being built to a new design designed to meet current naval requirements.

One of the most interesting features of the new project is the approach to equipping ships with various equipment. Thus, in terms of its dimensions and displacement, the Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier is almost no different from its predecessors of the Nimitz type. The ship with a total displacement of about 100 thousand tons has a length of over 330 meters and a maximum width on the flight deck of 78 m. At the same time, the internal equipment, electronic equipment, weapons, etc. the new aircraft carrier can be considered a big step forward. It is argued that the use of a number of new systems will significantly reduce the ship's crew, but at the same time increase the intensity of the air wing's combat work by at least 30%. The consequence of the latter will be an increase in the ship's combat effectiveness.

The higher performance of the new aircraft carrier in comparison with those currently in operation is due to the use of two A1B nuclear reactors, developed specifically for aircraft carriers of the new project. If necessary, such a power plant can produce power 25% greater than the maximum power of the Nimitz aircraft carrier reactors. At the same time, the labor intensity of reactor maintenance has been halved. The A1B dual reactor power plant is the first system of its type to not require refueling during service. The new reactors are designed in such a way that there will be enough nuclear fuel for the entire 50 years during which the aircraft carrier will serve. Thanks to this, among other things, the safety of the ship’s operation is increased, since all radioactive materials from the moment of loading until the aircraft carrier is decommissioned will be in a sealed volume.

The use of a more powerful power plant made it possible to equip the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford with EMALS electromagnetic catapults. With the help of new catapults, the aircraft carrier will be able to ensure the normal intensity of aviation flights at the level of 160 sorties per day. By comparison, modern Nimitz-class aircraft carriers can provide only 120 sorties per day. If necessary, the promising aircraft carrier will be able to increase the intensity of flights to 220 sorties per day.

The main element of the Gerald R. Ford radio-electronic equipment complex will be the DRB radar system. It includes the Raytheon AN/SPY-3 multifunctional radar and the Lockheed Martin VSR surround-view radar. Similar electronic equipment is expected to be installed on new destroyers of the Zumwalt project. It is assumed that the VSR radar will be used to monitor the air situation and target aircraft or ships. The second radar, AN/APY-3, is intended not only for viewing or tracking targets, but also for controlling certain types of weapons.

When designing a new aircraft carrier, the experience gained from operating the previous ones was taken into account. In connection with this, the layout of the hangar deck was changed. Thus, the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford has a two-section hangar deck. To lift aircraft onto the flight deck, the ship received three elevators instead of the four used on the previous type of aircraft carriers.

According to official data, the new aircraft carrier will be able to transport and support combat operations of over 75 aircraft of several types. Initially, the main strike force of the Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier will be F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft. Over time, they will be joined, and then replaced, by the latest F-35C. The composition of long-range radar detection and electronic warfare aircraft, as well as helicopters for various purposes, will remain the same. In addition, it is planned to place several types of unmanned aerial vehicles on the new aircraft carrier. In the distant future, such technology may supplant manned aircraft and helicopters.

For the ship's air defense and missile defense, the Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier will be equipped with RIM-116 RAM and RIM-162 ESSM anti-aircraft missile systems. Such weapons will allow the ship to intercept dangerous targets at ranges of up to 50 km. In addition, to protect against threats in the near zone, several anti-aircraft artillery systems will be installed on the aircraft carrier.

At the moment, all the main structures of the new aircraft carrier have been assembled and the final stage of construction and equipment will soon begin. After the ship's commissioning, planned for 2020, the US Navy will again have 11 aircraft carriers. In 2012, after the decommissioning of the aircraft carrier Enterprise (CVN-65), the number of ships of this class was reduced to 10. In the future, it is planned to transfer the structure of the aircraft carrier fleet to the permanent use of 10 ships.

In September, the US Congressional Research Service published new data regarding the financial side of aircraft carrier construction. According to the service, the construction of the Gerald R. Ford cost the budget $12.8 billion (at current prices). At the same time, financing for construction was fully completed back in 2011 and since then no funds have been allocated for the new ship. To compensate for the increase in the cost of individual components and work, it is planned to additionally allocate about 1.3 billion in fiscal years 2014 and 2020.

In the near future, the US Navy will place an order for the construction of a second Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier, which will be named John F. Kennedy. The keel of the second ship is scheduled for next year. During 2014-2018, it is expected to spend about $11.3 billion on construction, 944 million of which will be allocated in the first year of construction. In 2020, it is expected to sign a contract, according to which the shipbuilding industry will build a third aircraft carrier of the same type (there is information about its name - Enterprise). The cost of this ship in fiscal year 2014 prices is estimated at 13.9 billion.

The Pentagon's plans for the next ten years include the construction of only three aircraft carriers of a new type. The service life of these ships will be 50 years. It is still unknown what projects the American shipbuilding industry will be involved in after 2023, when Enterprise is planned to be launched. By that time, it is possible to update an existing project or begin work on a new one. One way or another, over the next 10-12 years, the United States Navy will receive three new aircraft carriers, which are superior in their characteristics to the ships currently in use.

Like any other expensive and ambitious project, the construction of new aircraft carriers has been heavily criticized. In light of the latest cuts in the military budget, the construction of such expensive ships looks, at least, ambiguous. For example, retired US Navy officer G. Hendricks, who is a consistent opponent of modern aircraft carriers, regularly makes the following argument against the newest ships. The last of the Nimitz-class aircraft carriers cost the treasury approximately seven billion dollars. The lead Gerald R. Ford will end up costing almost twice as much. At the same time, the normal flight intensity provided by the electromagnetic catapult will be only 160 sorties per day versus 120 for the Nimits. In other words, the new aircraft carrier is twice as expensive as the old one, but the increase in combat effectiveness, expressed in the number of possible sorties, is only 30%. It is worth noting that at maximum load on the electrical systems, Gerald R. Ford can provide 220 sorties per day, but this does not allow achieving a proportional increase in combat effectiveness.

The authors of the project for new aircraft carriers regularly mentioned that the operation of these ships would cost less than the use of existing ones. However, savings on operation will not immediately have an impact on the financial part of the project. The main reason for this is the twice as high cost of building ships. In addition, we should not forget that aircraft carriers operate as part of carrier strike groups (AUG), which also include ships of other classes. As of early 2013, operating one AUG cost approximately $6.5 million daily. Thus, savings on the operation of aircraft carriers may not have a significant impact on the overall financial performance of the relevant US Navy units.

Another financial problem is the aviation group. During the first years, the basis of the strike aircraft of the new aircraft carriers will be the F/A-18E/F fighter-bombers. In the future, they will be replaced by the latest F-35C. A characteristic unpleasant feature of both options for air group composition is the actual cost of combat sorties. According to G. Hendrix's calculations, the entire life cycle of F/A-18 aircraft, including the cost of construction and pilot training, costs the military department approximately $120 million. Over the past ten years, carrier-based aircraft of the US Navy, participating in various conflicts, have used about 16 thousand bombs and missiles of various types. Thus, the average amount of ammunition used by each F/A-18 aircraft in service over a ten year period is 16 units. Based on the life cycle costs of the vehicles, each bomb drop or missile launch cost taxpayers $7.5 million. The cost of construction and operation of the latest F-35C carrier-based aircraft will be significantly higher than similar parameters of modern technology. In this regard, the average cost of one bomb drop may increase significantly.

Thus, we can already say with confidence that one of the most ambitious American projects of recent times will also be one of the most expensive. Moreover, there is reason to doubt that the measures applied, aimed at saving through a number of new systems, etc., will significantly influence the overall economic indicators of the project. However, building new aircraft carriers - even if prohibitively expensive - will allow the US Navy to increase its combat capabilities and ensure the ability to carry out combat missions for the next 50 years.

Based on materials from the sites: https://defense-update.com/ https://navytimes.com/ https://militarytimes.com/ https://naval-technology.com/ https://cnas.org/

Composition of the series

Source of information: US Congressional Research Service Report[9]. All dates after 2009 are planned. On April 24, 2014, Google published a satellite image showing the second aircraft carrier of the series, CVN-79 John F. Kennedy, located on the slipway of the Northrop Grumman shipbuilding corporation. A characteristic design feature of the ships of this series is the “command room” moved to the stern.

The aircraft carrier Gerald Ford was launched on November 9, 2013, at the Newport News Shipyard in Virginia.

Performance characteristics

The composition of weapons and tactical and technical indicators of ships of this class may differ from each other - it all depends on their year of manufacture and target orientation. Below are the characteristics of the very first of the “floating airfields”:

1. Displacement - 98,425 tons, but when fully loaded - 104,112 tons.
2. Draft – 11.3 m.
3. The maximum width of the landing deck is 76.8 m.
4. Engines – 2 nuclear power plants of type A4W, four steam and diesel units each.
5. Maximum power – 260 thousand horsepower.
6. Maximum speed is 56 km/h or 30 knots.

The crew consists of 3,184 people, including 203 officers - the minimum number of personnel required to maintain any Nimitz-class aircraft carrier in combat condition. In total, the ship can accommodate up to 6,000 people (plus 2,800 pilots and 70 military personnel from the strike group).

Notes

1. [www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4200&tid=200&ct=4 Aircraft Carriers - CVN]
2. Jennifer Dellapenta.
   [www.irconnect.com/noc/press/pages/news_releases.html?d=178422 Photo Release - Northrop Grumman Hosts Keel Laying Ceremony for the First Ship in the Next Generation of Aircraft Carriers, Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78)] (English).
   News Releases
   . Northrop Grumman Corporation (November 14, 2009). Retrieved January 23, 2014.
3. [www.naval-technology.com/projects/cvn-21/ CVN 78 Gerald R Ford Class - US Navy CVN 21 Future Carrier Program, USA]. Website www.naval-technology.com.
4. All material in this section, except paragraphs where the source is specifically indicated, is taken from: Ronald O'Rourke [www.fas.org/sgp/crs/weapons/RS20643.pdf Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress]. CRS Report for Congress RS20643, December 22, 2009.
5. [www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-06-19/us-navy-bets-42-billion-on-carriers-in-china-s-sights.html US Navy Bets $42 Billion on Carriers in China's Sights] / /Bloomberg
6. Labor costs to build the ship amounted to approximately 50 million man-hours ([www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2014/06/daily-chart-1?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-hidden-cost-of-gangnam- style “The hidden cost of Gangnam Style”, The Economist, Jun 3rd 2014])
7. All materials in this section, except for paragraphs where the source is specifically indicated, are taken from: [www.naval-technology.com/projects/cvn-21/ CVN 78 Gerald R Ford Class - US Navy CVN 21 Future Carrier Program, USA].
8. ↑ 12
   [www.defenseindustrydaily.com/design-preparations-continue-for-the-usas-new-cvn21-supercarrier-01494/ Design & Preparations Continue for the USA's New CVN-21 Super-Carrier]. Defense Industry Daily, January 4, 2010.
9. Ronald O'Rourke [www.fas.org/sgp/crs/weapons/RS20643.pdf Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress]. CRS Report for Congress RS20643, December 22, 2009.
10. [armstrade.org/includes/periodics/news/2011/0601/10108380/detail.shtml TsAMTO / News / US Navy aircraft carrier CVN-79 will be named "John F. Kennedy"]
11. [vpk-news.ru/news/15682 The United States spoke about the progress of aircraft carrier construction | Weekly "Military-Industrial Courier"]. Retrieved April 26, 2013. [www.webcitation.org/6GFrm3dMQ Archived from the original on April 30, 2013].

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  Surface ship sonars	Stationary: AN/SQS-23 • AN/SQQ-23 • AN/SQQ-30 • AN/SQS-26 • AN/SQS-29 • AN/SQS-35 • AN/SQS-53 • AN/SQS-56 • Towed : AN/SQR-18 • AN/SQR-19 • AN/SQQ-32 • AN/UQQ-2 • Echo sounders: AN/UQN-1 • AN/UQN-4 • AN/WQN-1 • AN/WQN-2 • Signal Processors: AN/UYS-1 • AN/UYS-2 • AN/SQQ-28 • TASP • Decoys: AN/SLQ-25 Nixie
  Sonobuoys	AN/SSQ-2 • AN/SSQ-23 • AN/SSQ-36 • AN/SSQ-41 • AN/SSQ-47 • AN/SSQ-50 • AN/SSQ-53 • AN/SSQ-57 • AN/ SSQ-58 • AN/SSQ-62 • AN/SSQ-71 • AN/SSQ-77 • AN/SSQ-83 • AN/SSQ-86 • AN/SSQ-101 • AN/SSQ-110 Systems: Julie • Codar • Jezebel • DIFAR • DICASS •
  BIUS and fire control systems	NTDS • ACDS • SSDS • CEC • Typhon • AEGIS • AN/SQQ-89 • ITAWDS • TSCE Mk37 • Mk68 • Mk74 • Mk76 • Mk77 • Mk86 • Mk91 • Mk92 • Mk99
  Computers	AN/UYK-7 • AN/UYK-14 • AN/UYK-15 • AN/UYK-20 • AN/USQ-20 • AN/UYK-30 • AN/UYK-43 • AN/UYK-44 •

  Means for special operations	ASDS • SDV • DDS • CRRC

Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carriers

The Nimitz-class aircraft carriers are the only aircraft carriers remaining in service with the US Navy, providing (together with the Air Force) a global US military presence in all parts of the world.

The Forrestal-class and later Kitty Hawk-class aircraft carriers created in the 1950s gave the US Navy universal ships with enormous combat capabilities and a large reserve of modernization potential, which made it possible to successfully carry out any missions up to decommissioning due to physical wear and tear. However, the power plant of these ships imposed certain restrictions on their use. The first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the Enterprise, was built as an experiment in the early 1960s. The experience of operating these giants and the outbreak of the Vietnam War made it possible by the mid-1960s to formulate requirements for a new generation of attack aircraft carriers, which were supposed to gradually replace all previous types.

LOOKING TO THE PAST, LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

In the design of the Nimitz, the shipbuilders tried not only to take into account the strengths and weaknesses of the previous ships, but, given its colossal cost, to predict, if possible, the trends and prospects for the development of carrier-based aviation and the way of operations at sea for many decades to come. And we must admit that they succeeded.

The main focus during the development of the project was ensuring maximum autonomy, high cruising speed and long-term support for combat operations of the naval air wing without replenishment of supplies. All this was achieved thanks to the huge size of the ship in combination with a nuclear power plant. As a result, due to the smaller size of the nuclear power plant and the absence of tanks for ship fuel, Nimitz-class aircraft carriers carry 90% more jet fuel and 50% more ammunition than their Forrestal-class predecessors. Initially, these ships, created during the Cold War, were intended exclusively to carry out strike missions, but after the end of the confrontation, their capabilities were adjusted, and now, in addition to performing strike operations, the Nimitzes are capable of solving anti-aircraft defense missions, naval or air blockades, or providing peacekeeping missions. missions. Construction of the lead ship of the series began on June 22, 1968, and on May 3, 1975, it entered service. Following CVN-68 (as the Nimitz was designated), nine more aircraft carriers were built over the next thirty-odd years - CVN-69 Dwight Eisenhower, CVN-70 Carl Vinson, CVN-71 Theodore Roosevelt. , CVN-72 Abraham Lincoln, CVN-73 George Washington, CVN-74 John Stennis, CVN-75 Harry Truman, CVN-76 Ronald Reagan and CVN-77 George W. Bush. The latter entered service on January 10, 2009 and is the only one named after a living US president. All ten ships were built at Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia, the only shipbuilding facility in the United States (and therefore in the world) capable of building nuclear-powered aircraft carriers of this size. Despite the enormous size and complexity of the ship, the cost of most of them was kept within $4.5 billion, largely thanks to serial construction and constant improvement of construction technology. Starting from the fourth ship, modular large-block assembly began to be introduced, which made it possible not only to significantly reduce the cost of construction, but also to significantly reduce the time - while the first three took seven years to build, the Stennis managed to go from laying to commissioning in less than for five. Over the course of 40 years, over which the construction of the series stretched, more or less noticeable changes were made to the design, as a result of which two subclasses are distinguished - “Theodore Roosevelt” (CVN-71 - CVN-75) and “Ronald Reagan” (CVN-76 and 77). The last ship is noticeably different from its counterparts and is a “transitional” ship to the next type of aircraft carriers that will replace the Nimitz.

Read: Mutsuki-class destroyers

COMBAT SERVICE

Although these aircraft carriers did not have the opportunity to participate in such a large-scale conflict as Vietnam, they were involved in many local incidents. Already in 1980, the Nimitz went to the aid of American diplomats captured in Iran. In 1982, his planes got involved in a skirmish with Libyan planes, shooting down both. Less than 10 years later, all aircraft carriers were deployed to some extent in Operation Desert Storm, and then in later operations in the Persian Gulf, Somalia, the Balkans (in 1996 and 1999), Iraq and Afghanistan (after September 11). In 2013, several of them were redeployed to the shores of Syria in anticipation of attacks on that country.

When creating Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, it was assumed that their service life would be at least 50 years. If these deadlines are met, the lead ship will retire only in 2025, and the last one will serve almost until 2060. These aircraft carriers will be replaced by slightly larger ships of the Gerald Ford type.

DESIGN FEATURES

Naval aviation was born seven years after the flights of the Wright brothers: on November 14, 1910, the American pilot Eugene Ely took off from the deck of a ship. Soon the United States began building floating airfields, indispensable in local wars, which confirms the widespread term “aircraft carrier diplomacy.”

and the Nimitz's predecessor, the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the Enterprise, had to install eight nuclear reactors. By the time the Nimitz appeared, a more powerful A4W reactor had been created, developed at the Bettis Atomic Energy Laboratory with the help of the Knolls Laboratory and mass-produced.

POWER POINT

Now, only two reactors were enough to provide energy to a larger ship, which led to a noticeable saving in space. The two reactors are located in separate compartments and drive four General Electric steam turbines, which rotate four 5-blade propellers with a diameter of 7.6 m and weighing about 30 tons.

Read: US Air Force in Europe

The use of nuclear power on large aircraft carriers provides enormous advantages over the traditional (liquid fuel) method of generating steam. The most obvious of these is the ability to have an unlimited cruising range. No less important, however, are other advantages of nuclear reactors - the absence of the need for a tank for boiler fuel (they can be used to increase the supply of aviation fuel) and high steam production. And the steam supply on an aircraft carrier is associated not only with supplying steam to the turbines for propulsion, but also with powering a huge number of electricity consumers, as well as aircraft catapults. In addition, nuclear reactors are capable of operating at high productivity almost constantly, unlike oil boilers. As a result, the aircraft carrier has a higher cruising speed and is able to move much faster, for example, from the North Atlantic to the Indian Ocean.

SHIP HULL

Only the first three Nimitz were built using traditional technology. Starting with Theodore Roosevelt, they began to use modular technology, which makes it possible to assemble a ship in a dry dock from large-block parts (for example, the “island” is installed in a single module) using cranes. In addition, these assembly modules are already equipped (most or all) with the necessary piping and electrical system. The last of the aircraft carriers of this type, George Bush, consists of 161 “super modules”. Thanks to this technology, the construction time for these huge and incredibly complex ships was reduced to five years. The last two ships in the series are equipped with a “bulb” bow, which reduces drag, and the George Bush, in addition, has reduced radar signature. During the design, much attention was paid to protecting the ship - both from enemy influence and, due to the presence of a huge amount of aviation fuel and aviation ammunition, fire safety. To prevent the spread of fire (which suffered greatly among American aircraft carriers in the 1960s), the hangar decks are divided into three compartments by thick steel partitions. In addition to the developed passive protection system, all vital parts are protected by 64 mm thick Kevlar anti-fragmentation armor.

AVIATION EQUIPMENT

The Nimitz has an angled flight deck tilted 9° relative to the ship's axis. To move airplanes and helicopters between the flight and hangar decks, four aircraft lifts (elevators) are used, located along the sides of the ship: three on the starboard side (two of them in front of the “island”) and one on the left (in the rear).

The aircraft are launched by four steam catapults, two of which provide launch from the front part of the deck, and two from the corner deck. The steam consumption for a catapult is quite high, and previously, with a conventional power plant, it was impossible to ensure the operation of all four catapults at a fast pace and at the same time go at full speed. With the advent of the nuclear power plant, the problem of insufficient steam production of boilers was solved. With coordinated work, the deck crew is capable of launching 20 aircraft within 10 minutes.

Read: Ruger revolvers (USA)

The landing equipment includes four aerofinisher cables, onto which the aircraft is hooked by the landing hook. The Nimitz's size allows pilots to operate relatively without problems, and on the last two ships the number of cables was reduced to three.

AIRCRAFT WING

The main armament of an aircraft carrier is carrier-based aviation, which, although based on it and operating in close cooperation with the ship's command, is nevertheless organized into an aviation wing, which is an independent unit. The most typical Nimitz is a mixed air wing, which includes fighters, F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter-bombers (often one of the squadrons belongs to Marine Corps aviation); electronic warfare aircraft EA-6B "Prowler"; E-2C Hawkeye AWACS aircraft; S-2 Greyhound transport aircraft and SH-60F and HH-60N Sea Hawk anti-submarine and rescue helicopters. With such an assortment of aircraft, Nimitz takes on board 85-90 aircraft, but in case of specific tasks it can accommodate up to 130 F/A-18. In peacetime, however, the size of the air wing is usually reduced to 64 aircraft.

DEFENSIVE WEAPONS

To protect against enemy aircraft, surface ships and submarines, the Nimitz relies primarily on its air wing and the ships that are part of the carrier strike group. However, to destroy air targets, the ship has 3-4 launchers of RIM-7 Sea Sparrow anti-aircraft missiles, covering only the near (up to 18 km) zone. To combat anti-ship missiles, four small-caliber Phalanx artillery mounts with an ultra-high rate of fire are designed - but these are “last chance” weapons, the range of action does not exceed 4 km. In addition, in such a situation, six-barrel systems for shooting IR and radar traps come into action, capable of disrupting the operation of the missile guidance system.

TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF CVN-68 NIMITZ

• Displacement, t: - standard: 78,280 - full: 101,196
• Dimensions, m: - length: 317 (at the waterline) - beam: 40.8 (at the waterline) - draft: 11.3
• Power plant: nuclear, two Westinghouse A4W reactors and 4 steam turbines with a capacity of 194 MW
• Travel speed, knots: more than 30
• Cruising range: unlimited
• Armament: - aviation: 85-90 aircraft (F/A-18E/F "Super Hornet"; 4-6 EA-6B "Prowler"; 4-6 E-2S N "Hawkai") and helicopters (6-8 SH -60F/HH-60H "Sea Hawk") - missile and artillery: ZPU ZM-7 "Sea Sparrow" air defense system, 4 ZAK "Phalanx" installations
• Crew, people: 3200 (ship) and 2480 (air wing)

You might be interested:

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• American light aircraft carrier USS Independence (CVL-22)
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• Project 23000e "Storm"
• History of the creation and use of aircraft carriers
• American convoy aircraft carrier USS Sangamon (CVE-26)

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An excerpt characterizing the Gerald R. Ford class aircraft carriers

The sovereigns mounted and left. The Preobrazhentsy, breaking up the ranks, mixed with the French guards and sat down at the tables prepared for them. Lazarev sat in a place of honor; Russian and French officers hugged him, congratulated him and shook his hands. Crowds of officers and people came up just to look at Lazarev. The roar of Russian French conversation and laughter stood in the square around the tables. Two officers with flushed faces, cheerful and happy, walked past Rostov. - What is the treat, brother? “Everything is on silver,” said one. – Have you seen Lazarev? - Saw. “Tomorrow, they say, the Preobrazhensky people will treat them.” - No, Lazarev is so lucky! 10 francs life pension. - That's the hat, guys! - shouted the Transfiguration man, putting on the shaggy Frenchman’s hat. - It’s a miracle, how good, lovely! -Have you heard the review? - the guards officer said to the other. The third day was Napoleon, France, bravoure; [Napoleon, France, courage;] yesterday Alexandre, Russie, grandeur; [Alexander, Russia, greatness;] one day our sovereign gives feedback, and the next day Napoleon. Tomorrow the Emperor will send George to the bravest of the French guards. It's impossible! I must answer in kind. Boris and his friend Zhilinsky also came to watch the Transfiguration banquet. Returning back, Boris noticed Rostov, who was standing at the corner of the house. - Rostov! Hello; “We never saw each other,” he told him, and could not resist asking him what had happened to him: Rostov’s face was so strangely gloomy and upset. “Nothing, nothing,” answered Rostov. -Will you come in? - Yes, I’ll come in. Rostov stood at the corner for a long time, looking at the feasters from afar. A painful work was going on in his mind, which he could not complete. Terrible doubts arose in my soul. Then he remembered Denisov with his changed expression, with his humility, and the whole hospital with these torn off arms and legs, with this dirt and disease. It seemed to him so vividly that he could now smell this hospital smell of a dead body that he looked around to understand where this smell could come from. Then he remembered this smug Bonaparte with his white hand, who was now the emperor, whom Emperor Alexander loves and respects. What are the torn off arms, legs, and killed people for? Then he remembered the awarded Lazarev and Denisov, punished and unforgiven. He caught himself having such strange thoughts that he was frightened by them. The smell of food from the Preobrazhentsev and hunger brought him out of this state: he had to eat something before leaving. He went to the hotel he had seen in the morning. At the hotel he found so many people, officers, just like him, who had arrived in civilian dress, that he had to force himself to have dinner. Two officers from the same division joined him. The conversation naturally turned to peace. The officers and comrades of Rostov, like most of the army, were dissatisfied with the peace concluded after Friedland. They said that if they had held out any longer, Napoleon would have disappeared, that he had no crackers or ammunition in his troops. Nikolai ate in silence and mostly drank. He drank one or two bottles of wine. The internal work that arose in him, not being resolved, still tormented him. He was afraid to indulge in his thoughts and could not leave them. Suddenly, at the words of one of the officers that it was offensive to look at the French, Rostov began to shout with vehemence, which was not justified in any way, and therefore greatly surprised the officers. – And how can you judge what would be better! - he shouted with his face suddenly flushed with blood. - How can you judge the actions of the sovereign, what right do we have to reason?! We cannot understand either the goals or the actions of the sovereign! “Yes, I didn’t say a word about the sovereign,” the officer justified himself, unable to explain his temper otherwise than by the fact that Rostov was drunk. But Rostov did not listen. “We are not diplomatic officials, but we are soldiers and nothing more,” he continued. “They tell us to die—that’s how we die.” And if they punish, it means he is guilty; It's not for us to judge. It pleases the sovereign emperor to recognize Bonaparte as emperor and enter into an alliance with him—that means it must be so. Otherwise, if we began to judge and reason about everything, then there would be nothing sacred left. This way we will say that there is no God, there is nothing,” Nikolai shouted, hitting the table, very inappropriately, according to the concepts of his interlocutors, but very consistently in the course of his thoughts. “Our job is to do our duty, to hack and not think, that’s all,” he concluded. “And drink,” said one of the officers, who did not want to quarrel. “Yes, and drink,” Nikolai picked up. - Hey, you! Another bottle! - he shouted. In 1808, Emperor Alexander traveled to Erfurt for a new meeting with Emperor Napoleon, and in high society in St. Petersburg there was a lot of talk about the greatness of this solemn meeting. In 1809, the closeness of the two rulers of the world, as Napoleon and Alexander were called, reached the point that when Napoleon declared war on Austria that year, the Russian corps went abroad to assist their former enemy Bonaparte against their former ally, the Austrian emperor; to the point that in high society they talked about the possibility of a marriage between Napoleon and one of the sisters of Emperor Alexander. But, in addition to external political considerations, at this time the attention of Russian society was especially keenly drawn to the internal transformations that were being carried out at that time in all parts of public administration. Life, meanwhile, the real life of people with their essential interests of health, illness, work, rest, with their interests of thought, science, poetry, music, love, friendship, hatred, passions, went on as always, independently and without political affinity or enmity with Napoleon Bonaparte, and beyond all possible transformations. Prince Andrei lived in the village for two years without a break. All those enterprises on estates that Pierre started and did not bring to any result, constantly moving from one thing to another, all these enterprises, without showing them to anyone and without noticeable labor, were carried out by Prince Andrei. He had, to a high degree, that practical tenacity that Pierre lacked, which, without scope or effort on his part, set things in motion. One of his estates of three hundred peasant souls was transferred to free cultivators (this was one of the first examples in Russia); in others, corvee was replaced by quitrent. In Bogucharovo, a learned grandmother was written out to his account to help mothers in labor, and for a salary the priest taught the children of peasants and courtyard servants to read and write. Prince Andrei spent half of his time in Bald Mountains with his father and son, who was still with the nannies; the other half of the time in the Bogucharov monastery, as his father called his village. Despite the indifference he showed Pierre to all the external events of the world, he diligently followed them, received many books, and to his surprise he noticed when fresh people came to him or his father from St. Petersburg, from the very whirlpool of life, that these people, in knowledge of everything that is happening in foreign and domestic policy, they are far behind him, who sits in the village all the time. In addition to classes on names, in addition to general reading of a wide variety of books, Prince Andrei was at this time engaged in a critical analysis of our last two unfortunate campaigns and drawing up a project to change our military regulations and regulations. In the spring of 1809, Prince Andrei went to the Ryazan estates of his son, whom he was guardian. Warmed by the spring sun, he sat in the stroller, looking at the first grass, the first birch leaves and the first clouds of white spring clouds scattering across the bright blue sky. He didn’t think about anything, but looked around cheerfully and meaninglessly. We passed the carriage on which he had spoken with Pierre a year ago. We drove through a dirty village, threshing floors, greenery, a descent with remaining snow near the bridge, an ascent through washed-out clay, stripes of stubble and green bushes here and there, and entered a birch forest on both sides of the road. It was almost hot in the forest; you couldn’t hear the wind. The birch tree, all covered with green sticky leaves, did not move, and from under last year’s leaves, lifting them, the first green grass and purple flowers crawled out. The small spruce trees scattered here and there throughout the birch forest with their coarse, eternal greenness were an unpleasant reminder of winter. The horses snorted as they rode into the forest and began to fog up. The footman Peter said something to the coachman, the coachman answered in the affirmative. But apparently Peter had little sympathy for the coachman: he turned on the box to the master. - Your Excellency, how easy it is! – he said, smiling respectfully. - What! - Easy, your Excellency. "What he says?" thought Prince Andrei. “Yes, that’s right about spring,” he thought, looking around. And everything is already green... how soon! And the birch, and the bird cherry, and the alder are already starting... But the oak is not noticeable. Yes, here it is, the oak tree.” There was an oak tree on the edge of the road. Probably ten times older than the birches that made up the forest, it was ten times thicker and twice as tall as each birch. It was a huge oak tree, two girths wide, with branches that had been broken off for a long time and with broken bark overgrown with old sores. With his huge, clumsy, asymmetrically splayed, gnarled hands and fingers, he stood like an old, angry and contemptuous freak between the smiling birches. Only he alone did not want to submit to the charm of spring and did not want to see either spring or the sun. “Spring, and love, and happiness!” - as if this oak tree was saying, - “and how can you not get tired of the same stupid and senseless deception. Everything is the same, and everything is a lie! There is no spring, no sun, no happiness. Look, there are the crushed dead spruce trees sitting, always the same, and there I am, spreading out my broken, skinned fingers, wherever they grew - from the back, from the sides; As we grew up, I still stand, and I don’t believe your hopes and deceptions.” Prince Andrei looked back at this oak tree several times while driving through the forest, as if he was expecting something from it. There were flowers and grass under the oak tree, but he still stood in the midst of them, frowning, motionless, ugly and stubborn. “Yes, he is right, this oak tree is a thousand times right,” thought Prince Andrei, let others, young people, again succumb to this deception, but we know life - our life is over! A whole new series of hopeless, but sadly pleasant thoughts in connection with this oak tree arose in the soul of Prince Andrei. During this journey, he seemed to think over his whole life again, and came to the same old reassuring and hopeless conclusion that he did not need to start anything, that he should live out his life without doing evil, without worrying and without wanting anything. On guardianship matters of the Ryazan estate, Prince Andrei had to see the district leader. The leader was Count Ilya Andreich Rostov, and Prince Andrei went to see him in mid-May. It was already a hot period of spring. The forest was already completely dressed, there was dust and it was so hot that driving past the water, I wanted to swim. Prince Andrei, gloomy and preoccupied with considerations about what and what he needed to ask the leader about matters, drove up the garden alley to the Rostovs’ Otradnensky house. To the right, from behind the trees, he heard a woman's cheerful cry, and saw a crowd of girls running towards his stroller. Ahead of the others, a black-haired, very thin, strangely thin, black-eyed girl in a yellow chintz dress, tied with a white handkerchief, from under which strands of combed hair were escaping, ran up to the carriage. The girl screamed something, but recognizing the stranger, without looking at him, she ran back laughing. Prince Andrei suddenly felt pain from something. The day was so good, the sun was so bright, everything around was so cheerful; and this thin and pretty girl did not know and did not want to know about his existence and was content and happy with some kind of separate, certainly stupid, but cheerful and happy life. “Why is she so happy? what is she thinking about! Not about the military regulations, not about the structure of the Ryazan quitrents. What is she thinking about? And what makes her happy?” Prince Andrei involuntarily asked himself with curiosity. Count Ilya Andreich in 1809 lived in Otradnoye still as before, that is, hosting almost the entire province, with hunts, theaters, dinners and musicians. He, like any new guest, was glad to see Prince Andrei, and almost forcibly left him to spend the night. Throughout the boring day, during which Prince Andrei was occupied by the senior hosts and the most honorable of the guests, with whom the old count's house was full on the occasion of the approaching name day, Bolkonsky, looking several times at Natasha, who was laughing and having fun among the other young half of the company, kept asking himself: “What is she thinking about? Why is she so happy!” In the evening, left alone in a new place, he could not fall asleep for a long time. He read, then put out the candle and lit it again. It was hot in the room with the shutters closed from the inside. He was annoyed with this stupid old man (as he called Rostov), ​​who detained him, assuring him that the necessary papers in the city had not yet been delivered, and he was annoyed with himself for staying. Prince Andrei stood up and went to the window to open it. As soon as he opened the shutters, moonlight, as if he had been on guard at the window for a long time waiting for it, rushed into the room. He opened the window. The night was fresh and still bright. Just in front of the window there was a row of trimmed trees, black on one side and silvery lit on the other. Under the trees there was some kind of lush, wet, curly vegetation with silvery leaves and stems here and there. Further behind the black trees there was some kind of roof shining with dew, to the right a large curly tree, with a bright white trunk and branches, and above it was an almost full moon in a bright, almost starless spring sky. Prince Andrei leaned his elbows on the window and his eyes stopped at this sky.